Federal Skilled Trades
The Federal Skilled Trade Program is an immigration category that allows individuals who are in a Trade to apply for permanent residency in Canada. The eligibility requires, work experience in your designated trade, language ability. To be eligible for this stream you either require an LMIA approved job offer OR have a certificate of qualification from a province.
Eligibility
Work Experience
Applicants are required to have 2 years of work experience in their respective trade. This work experience must have taken place in the last 5 years. Furthermore, the applicant must have been qualified in their trade for the entirety of their work experience.
The work experience must be under one of the NOC groups below
What is a NOC?
- Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades
- Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
- Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
- Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers
The work experience can from any country and can consist of multiple employments, including self-employment as long as the applicant performed the same occupation over of 2 years with the previous 5 years.
The work experience must for a minimum period of 30 hours per week (1560 hours per year) for a minimum of 2 years.
Part-time experience can also be used as long as the duration is equal to or greater than 1560 hour per weeks and is also the equivalent of 2 years work experience.
Example: A cook has worked 15 hours per week in their occupation over the period of 4 years. This experience would be equal 2 years’ experience at 30 hours per week.
Language Ability
Applicants take a language proficiency exam through IELTS or CELPIP and must achieve a minimum Canadian language Benchmark score (CLB) of 4 in reading & writing, and a minimum score of 5 in writing. Please see the table below.
| Minimum CLB Required | IELTS | CELPIP | |
| Writing | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Reading | 4 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Speaking | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Listening | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Note: Your language exam is valid for 2 years from the date you have taken the test. If 2 years have passed since you took the test, you will need to retake the language proficiency exam.
Education
There are no education requirements for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. However, having previous education will increase your CRS points in Express Entry and will increase the likelihood of receiving an invitation to apply (ITA)
Job Offer OR Provincial Certificate of Qualification
In addition to the minimum criteria, you must have either a job offer from your employer OR a Certificate of Qualification from a Canadian province in you respective Trade.
Job Offer
Your employer has offered you a permanent position in your respective trade and your employer has received a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Service Canada approving this position OR
You meet the requirement of ALL of the below:
- You are currently working in Canada in your trade and your employer is printed on your work permit
and
- You have been working for the same employer for a minimum of 1 year
and
- Your employer has offered you a permanent position AFTER you become a permanent resident
What is a Job Offer?
Certificate of Qualification
A Certificate of Qualification is a certificate issued by the province demonstrating that you are a fully qualified in your trade within that province. In order to work in multiple provinces you will be required to obtain a Red Seal certificate.
What is a Certificate of Qualification/ Red Seal Certificate?
Settlement Funds
If you do not have a job offer and are already working in Canada, you must demonstrate that you have enough funds for you and your family to immigrate to Canada. Please see the table below for the minimum funds required.
| Number of family members |
Funds required (in Canadian dollars) |
| 1 (you) | $12,960 |
| 2 | $16,135 |
| 3 | $19,836 |
| 4 | $24,083 |
| 5 | $27,315 |
| 6 | $30,806 |
| 7 | $34,299 |
| For each additional family member | $3,492 |
Intent to Immigrate to Canada
You must intend to permanently immigrate to any Canadian Province other than Quebec.
Admissible to Canada
In additional to the FST criteerea, you and your family member must not be criminally or medically inadmissible to Canada.